In the age of parasocial media, scrolling is more common than posting. The content we encounter is largely determined by algorithms and calculated for maximum engagement. This shift heightens the need for a new model of digital literacy that centres the reading practices of lurkers.
Understanding lurking as a literacy practice positions non-public participation as more than just scrolling; it is an active form of digital engagement that has real-world offline effects for platforms, communities, businesses and society. Lurkers are a financially valuable asset to the platforms that host them and to the entrepreneurs in the digital economy who rely on profits from lurk views and offline word-of-mouth communication.
Gina Sipley is Associate Professor of English at SUNY Nassau Community College. Sipley is a first-generation college graduate.
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